Very disappointing book from a author that has consistently given us an enjoyable read. Very convoluted plot that I was not able to follow let alone finish. Not my kind of book

Very boring and uninspired could not even finish. Would not recommend. It jedt fell flat with me in both its writing and character development.

Fascinating and intense!

Tony works for a start-up company that is rapidly making progress but needs help from investors. Sheila, meets Tony when she is visiting the company to see whether investing in them is going to be worth it, and they instantly have a connection. When Tony begins to realise everything at work isn’t quite what she thought it was and that something isn’t quite right, she confides in Sheila and wants to make her discoveries known, but Sheila isn’t as keen.

What I actually loved most about this story was the innovative idea the company was working on! It interested me greatly and I think it would have great potential so I was instantly drawn into the story. There was a lot going on that caused conflict not only between the characters, but between employees and affecting morals. Kathleen did a great job of focusing on how corrupt morals can become in professional settings where money is concerned and business is at the heart of the decisions rather than the consumer.

I really enjoyed the pace of the book. It was fast moving in terms of the relationship between Sheila and Tony and they had quite the rocky ride alongside the moral dilemmas. It was so interesting to see the choices the characters were making and their motives because they all had a different reason and angle for their behaviour. There were so many moments where I worried about how this was all going to play out and I just hoped Sheila and Tony would work out any differences so that they could focus on their relationship and finding happiness with one another.

An interesting addition to Kathleen’s unique catalogue of books and I look forward to reading more in future, hopefully with Tony and Sheila making an appearance too!

This one was ok. I couldn't really find myself interested in what was going on with the characters or the story.

So, this should have been a short story. Maybe longer than the usual short story, but, at least a novella, and not a novel.

It's the story of Sheila and Tony. Sheila is a venture capitalist who works for her father's VC Firm. She and her firm invest in the company that Tony gets a job at as a lab worker. They meet and slowly get closer. But, there's always tension. Especially when the CEO of the biomed startup that Sheila invested in and Tony works for starts doing things that are worse and worse.

I really didn't love either of the characters. Sheila just seemed very, very off. And Tony just seemed to justify everything.

I did really like the idea of this. Based on real life events-ish that it was and such. But, the story just seemed off kilter and repetative.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of the story.

This story is a well balanced mix of two people whose meeting is a one in a million event.

Tony is an introverted science nerd who just landed her dream job in Silicon Valley. The company is cutting edge and will improve blood testing processes around the world.

The ceo, Erica, is a young, vibrant woman who seems to mesmerize investmentors with little to no real information.

Sheila is a well educated, poised, attractive investment broker. She is looking to broker a sizable investment in Erica's company.

The stage is set for intrigue, personal growth and what happens when there is a question of ethics surrounded by millions of dollars.

This is an enjoyable read.

I have mixed feelings about Trade Secrets. I did not dislike the story, but I found it very one note and a little disjointed. Additionally, I thought it lacked depth. It was written very plainly and straight forward.

I related fairly well to the character of Tony and liked her best. But I did not warm up to Sheila until close to the end of the story. Even so, I found both characters to be one dimensional and the supporting characters to be minimal.

While I'm not upset about the time spent reading this novel, I do not think it is one I would revisit.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for this review.

Very disappointing book from an author that has consistently given us an enjoyable read. Very convoluted plot that I was not able to follow let alone finish. This doesn't mean I don't want you to read but please choose another reviewer's thoughts on this book. I'm sure others have probably found this a wonderful read. Look forward to Ms Knowles' next book.

Tony: Introverted lab scientist who likes order and enjoys a challenge. She wishes to be a part of something bigger which can help change the world. Tony values hard work, scientific discovery and ethical behavior, and her moral compass makes her question her surroundings when something doesn’t feel right. Tony sees her new job at GHS as her chance to help make the world better.

Sheila: Works hard to become partner at her father’s venture capitalist investment firm. Sheila is good at what she does, and GHS is a good choice for her to progress to partner.

Pro:
Career driven women in professions seldom written about – I liked how the MCs are an venture capitalist and a clinical lab scientist. The works aren’t glamorized, but feels real.
Different type of plot – Usually books center about success and riches, this plot focus on risks and what happens when everything isn’t as it seems.
Realistic portrayal of a socially awkward, introverted MC – I loved reading the portrayal of Tony. She’s well written and the author capture her traits perfectly. Generally authors tend to make socially awkward characters evolve to a social butterfly during the book, but Tony gets to be herself throughout the book which was refreshing.

Con:
Unlikeable choices – The MCs makes some questionable choices which made me question whether they really should be together. This being a romance was for me a major con which decreased my reading pleasure.

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

This book has very technical situation described within. Do not let that scare you off! This book is intelligent and even if you thought you didn't understand science, you will (to a degree) by the descriptions. Tony begins working at a company that is headed by one of the most famous women, Erica. Erica is looking for investors to help with the company and one of those investors is Sheila. It is by chance that Tony meets Sheila. Sheila wants to know more about the company, but Tony is bound by a NDA and cannot tell her the specifics that Sheila really wants to know. Sheila gives Tony her number and they begin meeting. What once was an innocent meeting, is no longer as the feelings between the women grow. What is also growing, is Tony's suspicion that her boss, Erica, is not being truthful to her investors and employees about what the company is supposed to be doing.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly I will mention I admire how deeply the process of start ups was well known by the author. She was able to articulate venture capitalism and (sometimes not well known) dark side that plays into these companies. The plot is certainly an attention grabber because it's fresh and, so far unseen in an LGBTQ genre especially.

My main gripe comes down to what others can echo, a sentiment of flatness, uninspiring character dialogue and personality traits that make it hard to care about what happens to anyone really. I kept waiting for a hook- something to grab onto me as a reader and make me say "wow!" and possibly shrink responsibility to stay up and read what happens. Unfortunately this did not happen and instead I had to push myself to make it through the book without getting distracted and finding something else to do.

I will say the author certainly has a great flow about her writing and if it was executed a bit better this might have been a slam dunk.

A copy of this novel was provided to me by Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

When I started reading this one, I knew it seemed familiar to me. I knew I read something like this in the news and as I progressed on I realized it was based on a true story (not sure if the author meant it to be this way). I still read it as a fiction story mainly because as the events played out I knew it was about a romance between Tony Leung and Sheila Graham.

This was a tough read for me because the plot seemed to drag on, plus the fact that I knew what would happen all along. The mains were likeable, but they were boring. I wish that Sheila could have been more controversial. I think that would have brought more excitement to this romance. Above all the mains really didn't have much chemistry. As guess as I read this I wish something more interesting and exciting would have happened.

2.75 stars.

2.50 Stars. I’m sorry to say that this was a bumpy road with more disappointments that good points for me. This book was actually high on my want to read list. While I know that Knowles is more of a story driven writer and not a character writer -which clashes with me being a character driven reader- I thought my excitement over this particular plot premise would be enough to counteract that. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case so this ended up being a mismatch for me.

The reason I was so hyped about this book is because it is a fiction story inspired by real events. This is a take on the rise and collapse of Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos. When I first heard about Theranos it seemed too crazy to be true. I totally geeked about it and watched the documentaries and read Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup -which I would recommend to anyone interested in what really happened-. So when I heard there was going to be a WLW retelling of this story I was really excited. I wish my level of excitement for this story matched my final enjoyment of it.

Now for the most part the main plot was pretty good. Knowles clearly did her research and I felt like she understood the blood issues that were so central to what was happening. Elizabeth, her boy-toy, and her lawyers were all pretty diabolical. What they did to other workers, current and past, by scaring and threatening them… well reading parts of the true story in Bad Blood was intense at times. Here, reading a story that starred a main character that was in the middle of everything right in the lab, I was waiting for that intensity. Unfortunately, it just never really materialized. I wanted to feel more danger and excitement from this fiction book, than I did the real story, but instead it was the other way around.

The other huge problem, which I thought I could get past for the plot I wanted, was the characters. Yikes, they were rough for me. The two best describing words I can think of are flat and stiff. One character is a Buddhist, who is 98% Zen so nothing fazes her, while the other character is a geeky introvert. I’m all for geeky introverts, I’m one of them, but pairing a quiet introvert with a quiet Zen master, leaves you with two quiet characters. Two quiet characters that do not like conflict and drama, makes two characters that are very flat with no real built in personality.

When I don’t connect with characters normally the romance also suffers for me. That was the case here too unfortunately. I didn’t feel any chemistry what’s so ever between them. I didn’t even really understand the attraction and I actually felt uncomfortable reading the sex scenes. You know when you are younger and are watching a movie with your parents when a sex scenes comes on you feel embarrassed? Well, that changes when you are older and watching a movie with a parent, you don’t feel embarrassed anymore since everyone is an adult, but you still feel weird and uncomfortable… well that is what these sex scenes felt like to me and I sure don’t want that in my WLW fiction.

I might actually surprise some people here with my final thoughts. While I can’t put my personal recommendation on this book, I still think it might be worthwhile to some people. If you are interested in the Thernos story, but don’t feel comfortable reading a great nonfiction book like Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, then reading this book is a possibly way to learn about what happened. Like I already mentioned, Knowles did her research and does deserve credit for that. But, if you are just looking for a romantic intrigue or suspense, I would suggest going elsewhere.

It is never fun to write a review for a book that you had high hopes for but didn't deliver. And when I say it didn't deliver I mean it was even difficult to read.

Tony is a lab tech who is bored with her hospital job, at a job fair she comes across Global HemoSolutions (GHS) and all she can think about is joining this promising startup. The CEO is Erica Sanders, she is bossy, stubborn, cold but inspiring. Everyone is lured into GHS or investing in GHS by her smooth-talking ways. One of the new investors is Sheila, she is a VC who works at her dad's company. A chance encounter between Sheila and Tony in the bathroom and the next day in a coffee shop sets them on the path of a romance. When Tony starts to voice concerns about GHS Sheila doesn't fully support her and shows little to no emotion, as is the Buddhist way, or so she says. Sheila tries to get her dad involved who is on the board of GHS, but he is smitten by the enigmatic Erica. The device Erica says GHS has developed could be amazing, but it isn't and as it is, it is dangerous. When the pressure builds on the relationship between Sheila and Tony they might break, individually but the relationship might be doomed as well.

I feel like the author has put a lot of research in the respective jobs of the characters, or the author is just very knowledgable on both subjects. These are the best things about the book, but they don't show any development in the characters, or even in the story. I don't get the pairing between Sheila and Tony, no idea how they formed a bond. Erica should be this bitchy cold-hearted woman, and I guess it comes through at some points, but also here the character development is lacking. The dialogue could be a lot better and make more of an impact on the story. Erica is focused on her solution for blood testing, her sister gets mentioned a couple of times and I think this attempt at depth is where the story could have gotten higher marks. Why is Erica so set on this solution? Why does she keep mentioning her sister? Why do all investors and board members just go along with her? I sort of almost liked the Tony character, mostly because I didn't find her character to be as annoyingly written as Erica and Sheila. Sheila was the worst, all the Buddhism mentions and prayer, meditation, breathing exercises, I get it, you are a Buddhist, a happy one. But the author filled a lot of pages with this, these pages would better serve the story if they had some actual character development, good dialogue, or just something more/ different from what it is now.

I have to admit I was disappointed in Trade Secrets by Kathleen Knowles. From the blurb I was expecting an intriguing mystery and romance. Unfortunately, the story fell short of this. I will say that Ms. Knowles seems very knowledgeable in the business part of the lab/science company as well as how venture capitalist companies work. This tells me she did her research for this novel. The story was technically well written.

Here are the problems. The characters are flat and one dimensional. They are not well developed and I could not connect with any of them. I also saw little chemistry between the two main characters. The story lacked depth. It did not hold my attention at all. I would find my mind wandering to other things as I read, which tells me I had no interest in what I was reading. That doesn’t happen if I am enjoying the tale.
I really can’t recommend this book to anyone. Hopefully, this is just a glitch, and Ms. Knowles’ future novels will be much better.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for giving me the chance to read and honestly review this novel.

The description of the book really got me excited. Give me some corporate espionage any day but I couldn’t connect with the characters. And I really wanted to. The book really focused on the business and the research side of things and I thought that it would be a mixture of the suspense and the romance.

Sadly, I wanted more than this book delivered. It was technically well done but the depth isn't in the characters - it's in the research and business aspects of the story. I kept hoping for a reason for that depth; crimes, murder, something...and that kept me reading. Sadly it never occurred enough to make me happy ;(

The characters are a bit flat. Their interactions lack a bit o depth and while I was ready for something big it never happened either...

Overall a good premise, but the writing didn't suck me in and get me invested in the story

Before this one I hadn't read any books from this writer. Based on this book I won't be going out to find her previous ones. It wasn't bad or anything, but it also didn't do anything for me. For some reason I couldn't connect to the main characters and the writing didn't draw me in but it is hard to figure out why exactly.

This is the first book I read of this writer and I feel like is missing something. Maybe deeper feelings or connection? The technical osrt was interesting. The interactions came short of what I was expecting. Even the interactions with cold, controlling boss were missing the venom, sneakines. It's a good story. Just wish it had some depth into characters.

I just couldn’t engage with this book at all. The start of the book went into so much detail about the company and start ups and I just wasn’t interested.

The characters were ok but again I just didn’t engage. They were just a little boring

I’m sure some people will like the attention to detail bit for me there was just too much